M'SIA READY TO EXPAND ASEAN OPEN SKIES DEAL

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is ready to further expand the
scope of Asean Multilateral Agreement on Air Services to include the Asean
cities by signing the Asean Multilateral Agreement on the Full Liberalisation of
Passenger Air Services and its two protocols in Brunei, Friday.

Transport Minister Kong Cho Ha, who is attending the 16th Asean
Transport Minister Meeting, said the agreement and its protocols would allow
designated airlines of a Asean member state to provide air services from any
city with international airport in its territory, to any other city with
international airport in the territory of the other member state and
vice-versa.

He also called on Asean member states to work closely to emphasize the need
for concerted efforts in the region to effectively address the pressing road
safety issues and tasked the Asean Multisectoral Road Safety Special Working
Group to begin preparation for the Asean Regional Road Safety Strategy Plan
2011-2020.

This would cover the strategic framework for cooperation among the member
states and its policy guidelines, he said in a statement today.

Kong said this plan should be aligned with the United Nations Resolution on
the Decade of Action on Road Safety and the Moscow Declaration of the first
Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in 2009.

"During the meeting, Asean Transport Ministers also welcomed the endorsement
of the Master Plan on Asean Connectivity (MPAC) by the Asean leaders at the 17th
Asean Summit held in October," he added.

On the development of the Asean Single Aviation Market (ASAM), Kong said the
ASAM would include air services liberalisation, aviation safety, aviation
security, air traffic management, civil aviation technology, aviation
environment protection, air transport regulatory framework and human resource
development as its elements.

The Ninth Asean + China Transport Ministers Meeting, Eight Asean +
Japan Transport Ministers and Second Asean + Korea Transport Ministers Meeting
will also be held Friday.

Kong said Malaysia acknowledged the significant progress made in the
Asean-China Transport cooperation and looked forward to the conclusion of the
Memorandum of Understanding on the Asean-China Maritime Consultation Mechanism
and the Asean-China Air Transport Agreement during the meeting.

--BERNAMA